Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of optical communication systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to reaction compensated steering mirrors for use in free-space optical communication systems.
Related Art
Various conventional beam steering mirrors and fast steering mirrors have been developed over the years to address perceived needs in optical communication systems. While some of these attempts utilize reaction torque-compensated steering mirrors, these prior art devices generally provide very limited angular travel. Also, such prior art devices are usually limited by their support flexures and linear actuators.
While some two-axis scanning or steering mirrors have been developed that provide larger angular travel, these prior art solutions provide lower precision, lower servo bandwidth, higher jitter/noise, and often do not provide reaction torque compensation.